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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26291509">A Reason I Should Stay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemechanicalalligator/pseuds/onemechanicalalligator'>onemechanicalalligator</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Community (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boys Kissing, Ficlet, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Secrets, Takes place sometime pre-Physical Education</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:12:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26291509</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemechanicalalligator/pseuds/onemechanicalalligator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jeff and Abed wake up in bed together, and both of them have a secret.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Abed Nadir/Jeff Winger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Reason I Should Stay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The morning after they first sleep together, Jeff and Abed wake up around the same time, and they’re both naked under the sheets, and they both reach for the blanket in a gesture that is almost cartoonish, trying desperately to hide themselves. It was dark last night, and no one could see much of what was happening. They didn’t need to. Last night was all about feeling, and that’s what they did. They felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And both of them are used to being the first one up in a situation like this, are used to sneaking out before the other person even notices they’re gone. That’s how it’s always been for both of them, because that’s how it always is when you have something to hide. You calculate your position and your trajectory, and you escape at the perfect moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This morning, though, they’re both awake and they’re both still here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go ahead and get dressed,” Jeff says. “I’ll be right here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You go first,” Abed insists. “It’s fine, I’m still waking up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither of them moves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can--” Jeff says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, just--” Abed says at the same time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both fall silent again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you hiding something?” Abed finally asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you?” Jeff shoots back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abed leans in and kisses Jeff on the mouth, hard and bruising. A kiss of frustration and uncertainty and fear. Jeff kisses back in the same fashion, grabbing the back of Abed’s head and aggressively shoving his hand into his hair. Abed digs his fingernails into Jeff’s skin, hard enough to turn red, but not enough to draw blood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they pull apart they’re both breathing hard, ruffled and flustered. They’re quiet, watching each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abed gingerly starts to peel the bedding back. He pulls his arms out into the open and then sighs, letting them fall palm up. Jeff draws in a sharp breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So that’s why you always wear cardigans,” he says softly, and reaches out to trace a finger across the scars that decorate both of Abed's arms from wrist to shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Abed nods. He pulls the blanket the rest of the way down so Jeff can see that they extend down his legs as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I also never wear shorts,” he mutters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeff slides the other side of the blanket off of himself so Abed can see </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> secret, one he thought was his alone, and it isn’t, not at all. Abed reaches out to touch Jeff’s own constellation of scars, scattered across his hips and thighs and the lower part of his stomach. Above all the others there is one that’s slightly longer, slightly jagged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why you don’t want to wear shorts in gym class,” Abed says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That, and shorts are stupid,” Jeff clarifies. Abed nods in agreement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you ever shown--” Abed begins.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one but you,” Jeff interrupts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same here,” Abed says, and shrugs. “Can I please kiss you again?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jeff nods, and this time the kiss is tender and grateful and safe. They press their whole bodies together, skin to skin, scar to scar, and hold each other in a way that says, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both think, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it’s nice to wake up next to someone and stay.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
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